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Post by Chris W on Mar 16, 2016 17:27:37 GMT -7
So today, during my limit bouldering session in the barn, I managed to send my "Granite" problem. I have no idea what the grade would be. It's been on the wall for the last two and one half years. I hopped on it today, not expecting much after recovering from the flu, and fired it off first go. I was pretty psyched... for a while. Then, I felt a bit sad.
I almost feel as though I've been hunting a grand, terrible and ancient lion, ever the worthy opponent, clever, strong, resilient, powerful. I feel as though I've just captured and killed the king of the jungle after a long and brutal battle, and then, looking upon my adversary, suddenly realized how noble the creature was and how, with him gone, the jungle will never be the same.
Granted, a bit dramatic, but it's not the first time I've felt this way after sending a project. Anyone else experience a similar sense of loss? |
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Post by iclimb2improve on Mar 16, 2016 18:29:36 GMT -7
I've felt it a couple times on projects I've put tons of effort into over or even making it to the next grade in the gym. Granted I've only been climbing for about as long as you had your project up, but I started a project the middle of last summer ( a 5.12a in a local crag ), that felt impossible when I first jumped on it, then during my last chance in the fall I got the route down to one fall (about 6 months ago). I went out to do some roped bouldering (which really just turned into projecting, not doing that again) this week during my spring break, coming back to the project and sending it on second or third go and I felt happy and a little sad from all the work it took to get there.
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Post by MarkAnderson on Mar 16, 2016 19:30:28 GMT -7
Don't be sad, just set something a little bit harder! I have experienced that though (but never in the gym, weirdo  ). I wrote a bit about it near the end of this post: "As I clipped the chains, I felt a strange sensation—almost melancholy. Not the euphoria I was accustomed to. It’s taken me some time to understand this feeling, but I think it was a sense of loss. The Indy Pass Project has been my companion, my motivator, for a long time, and now it’s finished. With many projects, I tire of the route long before I complete it. That never happened with this route..." |
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Post by Chris W on Mar 17, 2016 2:22:28 GMT -7
(but never in the gym, weirdo ) |
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Post by Chris W on Mar 17, 2016 2:28:06 GMT -7
Hahaha! That's what my family thinks too! In my defense, it was MY problem in MY barn.
Thanks for the link to the post!
iclimb, great job on your project! Now you have a whole season of fitness to climb without any pressing climbing obligations. Go nuts!
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Post by joev9 on Mar 17, 2016 7:16:39 GMT -7
If you want to keep dancing with the this lion, tweak the problem to make it just a touch harder and keep going at it...
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Post by jessebruni on Mar 17, 2016 10:46:24 GMT -7
I've certainly experienced similar feelings after sending a longtime project. Usually I'm just psyched, but sometimes it feels a bit like moving to a new city, leaving behind old friends and situations you're comfortable in.
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Post by Chris W on Mar 18, 2016 1:52:19 GMT -7
If you want to keep dancing with the this lion, tweak the problem to make it just a touch harder and keep going at it... Blasphemy!
Actually, I've thought of doing that with other problems. I haven't yet, primarily due to a concern for limiting the types of moves I'm doing on the wall. The Barn rarely sees other climbers, so I'm limited to setting the things my addled brain can contrive. I suppose I should have a 'setting party' and invite some friends over to drink beer and set problems.
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Post by joev9 on Mar 21, 2016 7:28:50 GMT -7
If you want to keep dancing with the this lion, tweak the problem to make it just a touch harder and keep going at it... Blasphemy!
Actually, I've thought of doing that with other problems. I haven't yet, primarily due to a concern for limiting the types of moves I'm doing on the wall. The Barn rarely sees other climbers, so I'm limited to setting the things my addled brain can contrive. I suppose I should have a 'setting party' and invite some friends over to drink beer and set problems.
Ha ha, I know right. My buddy and I usually refer to this as "chipping" the problem (goes for making it easier or harder).
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). I wrote a bit about it near the end of 
